12 Creative Ways to Use the Space Under Your Stairs

Don’t let the dead space under your stairs go to waste. Check out these ideas on how to put that tricky triangular spot to good use.

By: Mina Hochberg

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Whit Preston

Photo By: Designs Northwest Architects

Photo By: Von Fitz Design

Photo By: Beyond Beige

Photo By: Lynn Donaldson & Associates

Photo By: Keechi Creek Builders

Photo By: SMHerrick Photography and AMEK Custom Builders

Photo By: Wills Company

Photo By: Red House Remodeling

Photo By: Wade Design Architects

Photo By: Marre Design

Photo By: Meadowlark Builders

Home Office

Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects designed a surprisingly spacious home office under the stairs of this Greek Revival cottage in Austin. Who doesn’t love an office with a sloped ceiling?

Powder Room

Designs Northwest Architects built a powder room beneath the staircase of the "Tsunami House" on Washington’s Camano Island. When your footprint is a mere 30 by 30 feet, below the staircase is a perfect place to tuck in a bathroom.

Secret Room

Annie Fitzgerald and Maria von Hartz of Von Fitz Design created this hobbit-sized hideaway underneath the stairs. The miniature door blends in seamlessly with the lacquered paneling to give the room a fun, secret vibe.

Wine Storage

Turn the space under your stairs into an exposed wine cellar, such as this one from Canadian design firm Beyond Beige. The backlit space stores wine and bottled beverages to create an industrial yet rustic ambience.

Bookcase

You can’t go wrong with a built-in bookcase underneath your stairs. As part of a larger home renovation, Lynn Donaldson & Associates built this grid of cubbies perfect for storing books in an orderly display.

Pet Area

Give your pooch a space to call his own. Keechi Creek Builders in Houston, Texas, customized this under-stairs space into a kennel and attached a door provided by the owners.

Play Area

Bright chalk paint, cozy carpeting and fun throw pillows are all you need to make a play area under the stairs. AMEK Custom Builders created this kid-friendly space to help incorporate a curving stairway into a total basement remodel.

Laundry Area

The owners of this 1920s Georgian home wanted quick access to laundry facilities without having to do a big remodel. The Wills Company, a design-build firm in Nashville, offered a solution by creating a laundry space underneath a back stairwell, complete with cabinet and counter.

Storage Drawers

Bulk up on storage space by building large drawers underneath your staircase. Red House Remodeling in Des Moines, Iowa, custom-built these rustic drawers as part of a large basement remodel.

Library

You don’t need four walls and a door to boast a library in your home. Wade Design Architects nestled a simple library underneath the stairs in this Sonoma retreat.

Playhouse

The lower level of this Calgary home features a playhouse for kids, complete with its own Dutch door. The design, conceived by Marre Design, places the playhouse right next to the den to make for the perfect family entertainment space.

Lounge Area

When actress Kristen Bell treated her sister to a major remodel of her Detroit home, Meadowlark Builders incorporated this "loft type" space in the basement for kids to lounge on. The cozy alcove also features deep built-in drawers for plenty of toy storage.

Room Lab

12 Creative Ways to Use the Space Under Your Stairs

Related To:

Shop This Look

Home Office

Powder Room

Secret Room

Wine Storage

Bookcase

Pet Area

Play Area

Laundry Area

Storage Drawers

Library

Playhouse

Lounge Area

50 Stair Railing Ideas to Dress Up Your Entryway 50 Photos

20 Fresh Ways to Use Teal in Your Living Room 20 Photos

5 Creative Ways to Use the Spare Space Under Your Staircase 5 Photos

12 Bold Creative Painted Staircase Ideas 12 Photos

12 Ways to Bring Order to Your Small Space

10 Ways to Step Up Your Staircase Decorating Skills 10 Photos

Related Pages